Chapter 27: Taking Care

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"Ohmygod, what was that?"

Henry heard his wife, and felt her stirring next to him. He peered at his phone. Nearly one in the morning. Great.

"You stay here," he told her, sitting up. "Probably the cats just knocked something over." He retied the waist of his sweats as he stood.

"It was really loud, though," Mouse replied, sitting up herself.

Henry opened their bedroom door as he flicked on the light, and felt the blood drain from his face. It was an odd sensation, something he'd never experienced before, like suddenly entering a freezing cold room.

The doors to the linen cupboard were open, and its entire contents seemed to have spilled into the hallway. Some of the shelving, too, was on the floor, while a few planks stuck haphazardly out of the closet. All three animals were assembled, staring at the mess, adding the last, surreal touch to the tableau.

In the middle of the mess, unmoving, lay Leo. He was surrounded by bath towels and pillowcases, and some extra comforters.

"Leo?" Henry's feet felt nailed to the floor as he looked at his son, lying lifeless in front of him.

Next to him Mouse took in a huge breath as she, too, stared.

"Oh god, Leo!"

Henry felt her brush against him as she ran to their son, who hadn't twitched. She knelt next to him, trying to wake him up. "Leo? Leo, baby, what happened?" She turned to her husband. "Call 911, Henry. Henry!"

Henry finally got moving. "No, I'll just take him, it'll be faster," he said tersely.

"But what if he's really hurt? We shouldn't move him--" she stopped talking when they both heard Leo moan.

He opened his eyes, and Henry could see his pupils dilate as he saw his parents hovering over him.

His eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm really, really sorry. I was bad, I was a baby--"

"Something's really wrong," Mouse said, trying not to sound hysterical. "Call 911, call 911 right now, please."

But Henry was already reaching for his son, who looked and felt so frail and tiny. "You stay here, I'm taking him to the ER right now, okay, honey?" Henry looked at his wife, whose face was the same color as her white nightgown.

"Ow, Ow," Leo cried. "My arm," he continued as Henry rose, holding Leo in his arms. Henry could tell that it was hanging at an odd angle. And a huge knot was forming on his little forehead, too.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Henry soothed. He was stepping into his running shoes, which were near the front door. He felt Mouse putting his wallet and phone into the pocket of his sweats. He looked at her as she opened the door, and he could tell that she wanted to come with them.

"No, Mouse, no, you're not dressed, and it would just slow us down," he said, trying to sound calm and reasonable. "You can't go out like that, and I don't want to wait, okay?" They were now at the elevator, waiting.

At that moment, Leo made another sound, a little whimper, from his father's arms, and the sound seemed to bring Mouse back to earth. She nodded, biting her lips together.

"Mommy? Mommy?" Leo sounded desperate as he reached for her. He was really starting to cry, which was kind of reassuring; it must mean that he was fully conscious, at any rate.

"Yes, I'm here, I'm here," Mouse soothed, reaching for the hand on his uninjured arm.

"I'm sorry," Leo said again, squeezing her fingers. His eyes were bright with pain as he looked at her in the lights of the hallway.

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